Following on from last monthís report from the Medical Research Council claiming that alcohol is more harmful than some Class A drugs, recruitment experts and lawyers are warning that employers are increasingly cracking down on the consumption of alcohol not just in, but also around the workplace.
ìAccording to figures from the Health and Safety Commission, 8 to 14 million working days are lost each year because of alcohol,î says Nigel Lynn, divisional managing director at recruitment group Carlisle, ìand 200,000 UK workers actually turn up with a hangover every day. Of course this often results in resentment amongst the more conscientious employees who are left to handle the additional workload. As a result, organisations of all sizes are cracking down on their staffís drinking habits. This could potentially signal the death of the old-fashioned business lunch and the traditional after-work drinks.î
ìContrary to many peopleís beliefs, itís not only ëproblem-drinkersí who can pose alcohol related problems at work,î Lynn continues, ìand this rule even extends to employers and managers. A recent government report has revealed that over 90% of HR directors feel that alcohol consumption is a genuine problem for their company, and consequently we are seeing companies beginning to actively encourage staff to unwind from their job in other ways. If this trend continues we shouldnít be surprised if some employers stop recruiting drinkers altogether.î
Some companies, particularly in the USA, have already started to ban the recruitment of smokers, but how feasible is it that this could extend to drinkers too?
ìThere are no laws directly preventing discrimination against drinkers,î says Sikin Andela, employment law specialist and partner at Glovers Solicitors, ìso an employer may state in their job adverts that they are a ëdryí company and that drinkers need not apply. Not only that, during the first year of employment (before statutory protection against unfair dismissal kicks in) an employer who makes it clear at the outset that it only employs non-drinkers would be able to dismiss an employee if they discover that they drink after the contract of employment commences.î
Demon drink facing workplace ban, say top recruitment experts and lawyers
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